A DARKER CITY

chapter fourteen, here and now

Athena was all ready for the biggest business opportunity of her life. Or, she promised herself she was. But she wasn't. not at all.

She was shopping with her sisters again. It seemed like such a long time since they'd been shopping. But this time they were shopping for a wedding dress. And by they, that meant Athena was looking to buy, Morgan was looking to try things on, and ramona was running wild with crutchie off somewhere.

The store keeper was an old man with deep slime lines etched into his face and bright eyes. The young seamstress was his daughter, and she sat up on the counter sewing a careful pattern to the end of a veil.

Morgan found beauty in all of the dresses, but it was easy to like something when you had no need for it.

"what's you budget?" the man asked morgan.

"oh, well, it's her who's getting married." Morgan said, pointing to aathena. The other girl didn't look much like a bride. Sure, she was beautiful, with gorgeous brown hair that fell to her shoulders in perfect curls, and she had brown eyes that sparkled with light. But her mouth was pointed down into a frown, and lack of good sleep was beginning to show on her face.

"oh, and your budget?" he asked Athena.

"unlimited, for the night dress." The girl responded, looking through a photo album of wedding dresses. She didn't have any idea what kind of dress she'd like. And if she did, it didn't show as she looked through each page as if it bored her half to death.

Ramona tried to just sit there with crutchie and talk and not wreak havoc. But it was in their nature to be headstrong and bold, so sitting still on the uncomfortable couch of the waiting room was a tedious task.

Morgan looked amazing in everything she tried on, her hair rested on her shoulders perfectly, and every dress hugged her body just right. She looked like a fairy tale princess. If only it was her getting married.

Ramona wanted to try on a dress, but she wasn't sure why. She didn't want to get married, or, she did, but not now. And it seemed too soon.

The night before played through her head and it left her blushing. And to think, a month ago her sister would have been scandalized at the thought of ramona just kissing a boy. But, she'd probably still be scandalized. Ramona wondered if they knew. If it was obvious. She looked at crutchie. He was so happy, smiling, as if the strike and the refuge was forgotten. But she knew him, and she knew it wasn't. it was easy to smile during the day. She wondered about that all the time.

She wondered the most about last night. Maybe it was horrible of her to do what she did. He seemed so upset, about the refuge. And about his leg and feeling helpless and she wondered what it was really like inside his heart.

"ramona? You ok?" crutchie asked. She nodded, dumbly. "I mean, I guess yous just distant. I mean, I'm no betta', but ah..."

"yeah. I just, I feel a little lightheaded."

"of course, doll." He said, "do yaw anna step outside?"

"thank you, I'd like that." Ramona said. Love was different than she expected it to be. "did you dream last night?"

"ya never cease ta' amaze me." Crutchie laughed.

"it was just a question."

"I didn't have nightmares fer once. I'm glad of that." He said.

"I'm so happy for that." She said.

"how 'bout ya? Did ya dream?" he asked back.

"at this point, dreams and reality are a little blurred. Maybe I'm crazy after all." she laughed.

He laughed to. His smile was so true and so just and it was perfect and he never wanted to see anything else for as long as she lived.

"all I know," she laughed, "is I'm crazy about you."

They had to excuse themselves from the store for the loud laughter. Athena glared at them. Morgan hardly noticed them. If Ramona had been a better person she would have cared. For one, she was glad she wasn't polite or nice like her sisters.

"I swear, she's out of control." Athena hissed to her sister.

"ath, no. she's fine." Morgan said.

"only you would believe that. She had him stay over all night!" Athena outraged.

"I was home, relax, nothing happened." Morgan said. She looked at herself in the mirror. The sleeveless dress was elegant and fancy, with a drop neck that showed a glorious amount of her.

"I don't suppose you're trying that on to actually buy it." Athena said.

Morgan frowned. No, of all of her siblings, she never thought it would be her who couldn't find love. It broke her heart. She was happy for her sisters, really, but her own heart was alone and cold and broken. She doubted she'd even find a love like the ones she read about her whole life in fantasy novels.

"how about this?" morgan held up a pretty dress with a long train and pretty embroidery.

"that's actually... really nice." Athena admitted.

"try it on!" morgan yelled, pushing her sister into a dressing room.

She looked like a queen, her waist cinched into a narrow hourglass, and her perfect posture made it look even more drastic.

Morgan clapped for her sister. "you're so beautiful." She was choking up. "I just can't believe you're getting married!"

"neither can I."

"I spend every moment thinking that you'll say this was all some joke and that you're not getting married and your still my little sister who scrunches up her nose at the thought of boys."

"sorry, morgan. I'm getting married, I'm not a child anymore." Athena said.

A man whistled in their direction. Followed by laughter and a small curse. Crutchie and ramona had come back in, and stood in the doorway.

"you look great!" ramona said. 'I wish I was getting married.' She thought. But she kept her mouth shut. She wasn't an idiot. She wouldn't ask for something so thoughtless.

"thank you. I think I do like it." Athena said, checking herself out in the mirror.

"i'm so- oh! I almost forgot!" morgan said, waving back tears. "this is from mom." She pressed a cloth covered item into athena's hand. She held it tightly, but didn't uncover it.

"maybe I should wait to look. I wouldn't want to cry in a place like this." Athena reasoned.

"oh, come on. Mom wouldn't have wanted for you to always hide how you feel. And it's just a small thing." Morgan said. Ramona could tell she didn't mean that, that it was just a minor thing.

Athena uncovered it to reveal a small box made of wood. Maybe redwood. Ramona didn't know much about that kind of thing so her guess was from the coloring alone.

Inside the box was their mothers wedding ring, and a small locket. And a note.

"if I read this I know I'll cry." Athena said.

"oh, you won't either." Ramona said. Morgan elbowed her.

"no, I showed you the other things, the letter is for me." Athena said, closing the box again.

Morgan looked sad. "I'll go hail a cab." Morgan said. "we cant walk back with our bags."

"oh," ramona said. She hugged crutchie tightly. "are you going back to the bunkhouse tonight? Or staying with us?" she asked. By us, she meant to say herself. But that seemed like too much.

"I think I should be getting' back to the house. Jack'll be missin' me." Crutchie said. Ramona missed the evil look Athena sent the newsie.

He stayed long enough to see the girls off, and ramona waved at him through the back of the cab window.

"ramona, sit back down." Athena said.

"wow, even with your wedding less than a week away, you're still a stick in the mud." Ramona joked. That was a new one, she wasn't normally one for insults. She wasn't smart enough for that.